In school, letter grading was straight forward: A+ for excellent, C for average, F for failing. Restaurant letter grades may not be so easy to understand, and implementation of the restaurant letter grading system garners plenty of complaints and criticism, especially in New York City. Serious Eats interviewed a number of chefs, restaurant owners, and […]

Classic cocktails may be making a comeback (see our earlier blog post), but don’t overlook the need for creative mixology as well. For many bar and restaurant patrons, new and different is the name of the game. Sure, there are folks who order the same drink every time or who define variety by ordering something […]

Despite a flat third quarter, projected restaurant job growth is positive and trending in the right direction. According to National Restaurant Association (NRA), the industry added 27,000 jobs in the third quarter, considerably fewer than the second quarter gain; however, restaurant job growth is expected to be above three percent again for the year, as […]

The national drink of Russia is now leading in the U.S. as well. Vodka popularity is growing. In fact, vodka is now the most popular spirit in America. Ten of the top 24 spirits brands in the U.S. are vodkas, according to Bernstein Research and reported by CNBC. More surprising? The top five slots on […]

Fall means football, Octoberfest and, subsequently, beer. The good news for brewers: Beer sales are rising again. The economic downturn and a movement by the Millennials away from beer toward wine and other spirits caused beer sales to lag. However, according to USA Today’s “Beer sales starting to foam up,” the industry’s downward trend has […]

Breathe a sigh of relief – the federal government is open for business again. The restaurant reaction after the shutdown brings relief… to some degree. Delaware North and Xanterra are both rejoicing. Those names may not ring a bell, but they are both concessionaires in some of the nation’s most popular national parks, including Yosemite, […]

Fenway Bar & Restaurant Guide Boston Red Sox fans will find plenty of bars and restaurants near Fenway Park. If you want to raise a glass before or after the game because baseball and beer go together so well, but find beer prices at Fenway to be unreasonable, there are plenty of other choices around […]

Americana is often defined as apple pie and baseball, but don’t overlook the pairing of baseball and beer. And in Boston, it doesn’t get any better than toasting the Red Sox in the World Series with a beer. America’s favorite pastime and beer grew together with the ongoing expansion of the United States. The origin […]

Restaurant employee fraud and theft occur in several ways. Don’t think that the only ways fraud and theft occur is by stealing from the till or eating food without paying for it. There are a number of ways employee theft can occur in your restaurant or bar that may not have occurred to you. Refunds: […]

Certainly there are wine snobs, beer snobs, and coffee snobs. Put them together and witness a growth in coffee cocktails. Irish coffee (with Irish whiskey) or Mexican coffee (substitute Kahlua® or a similar coffee liqueur for the whiskey) simply don’t cut it any longer. Patrons are looking for more creative coffee cocktails and not simply […]